1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates, in general, to pharmaceutically novel and useful organic compounds and, more particularly, to O-carbamoylphenylalaninol compounds including their racemates and enantiomers and the pharmaceutically acceptable salts thereof, useful to treat the diseases of the central nervous system, especially for depression. Also, the present invention is concerned with a process for preparing the same.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Organic alkyl carbamates have been effectively used for controlling various central nervous system (CNS) disorders. For example, U.S. Pat. Nos. 2,884,444, 2,937,119 and 3,313,697 disclose function of carbamate in CNS disorders, especially as antiepileptic and centrally acting muscle relaxant.
Phenylethylamine derivatives, one important class of therapeutical medicines useful for managing CNS diseases, have been used mainly to treat obesity, narcolepsy, minimal brain dysfunction and mild depression.
Recent design of pharmacologically useful compounds has been based on amino acids or the derivatives thereof, which is mainly attributable to the fact that many of the compounds found in biological systems come from amino acids or the derivatives thereof. In addition, in most cases, the function of a pharmaceutically useful compound is effected after it binds to an enzyme or receptor, which may trigger the regulatory mechanisms of the enzyme or receptor.